A child’s educational assessment needs

It is almost that time of year when scholars need to buckle up, open their books and begin the long process of studying for end of year exams. Although the rest of the school year may be stressful for many children, the exam time adds extra stress onto their shoulders. This is handled differently by each person.

Educational assessments and child psychology.

Educational assessments assess the level of cognitive and behavioral functioning of a scholar. These tests look at a child’s ability in various fields.

• Attention span.
• Ability to sit still.
• Processing of information (visual and hearing.)
• Problem solving ability
• Fine-motor control
• Verbal Comprehension skills.
• Perceptual organization
• Memory retention (auditory and visual)

Benefits of an Educational Assessment?

An educational assessment assists in understanding the possible reasons as to why a child is not coping or thriving in the class room. Should a child need extra support, trained psychologists will offer advice to parents on finding the correct form of remediation for the learner. These assessments also highlight as to whether emotional issues are having a negative impact on the child’s scholastic functioning and recommendations as to how to manage these in a healthy and productive manner. Through a selection of tests, professionals can assess a child’s weaknesses and strengths.

Assessments can be useful if your child is not coping with exams. Special exam concessions for extra time, handwriting and/or spelling difficulties with compensatory strategies such as the use of a laptop, a reader or a scribe etc can be obtained through the process of an educational assessment, if appropriate for the learner.

When to know your child is stressed.

Parents may not know why their child is struggling to keep up with their studies, cope with changes or deal with everyday life. There are, however, various signs to look out for if a parent suspects that their child is under stress:

• Headaches.
• Sleeping badly.
• Loss or increase of appetite.
• Bad temper.
• Fatigue.
• Feeling ill.
• Restlessness.
• Lack of concentration.
• Unorganized
• Withdrawn behaviours
• Emotionally needy behaviours

Educational assessments and psychologists can easily spot issues that the person is dealing with. They offer assistance and advice to both the child and the parent. There are various areas of concern that these specialized assessments and child psychologists can help to address.

Trained professionals and educational assessments will benefit the child and help them overcome current issues that are hampering their overall development. This is vital in order for the individual to be able to move forward and achieve goals, hopes and dreams. Assessments will provide relevant guidance that will assist with developing coping skills in the future.

What your child may be suffering with.

It is important to ensure that a child is stable throughout their school days. This ensures that they are able to concentrate on school work, tests and exams. Should they be dealing with personal issues, they are bound to suffer in other areas of their lives, such as school work.

There are various factors that may cause tension in a young person’s life. This could cause them to develop a low sense of self-worth and negatively affect others areas. These issues can be addressed and dealt with, with the help of educational assessments and child psychologists.

• Eating disorders.
• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Study Skills.
• Exam stress.
• Bullying
• Divorce
• Self-Harming Behaviours
• Drug Abuse
• Trauma
• Bereavement

Educational assessments and child psychologists are able to determine whether or not a child is coping with teenage changes and school stresses.
For more information on Educational assessments or child psychologists in Johannesburg, call Bryanwood on:
011 706 2269
011 706 0979
011 463 1488.
Email bryanwood@bryanwood.co.za.

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Getting to know all about your child’s imaginary friend. When should you consider a child psychologist?

Many parents tend to become wary when their children start communicating and playing with their imaginary friends. Some children may personify their stuffed doll or toy, often pushing it in a pram, talking to it and putting it to bed at night. For other children an imaginary friend could very well be invisible to everyone else but very real for the child. Child psychologists however have shown that children with imaginary friends are creative and have a colourful imagination.

There may be numerous reasons as to why children have imaginary friends.

• Fun.
• Companionship.
• Entertainment (may not have siblings.)
• Play/ pretend play.
• Assist children in wishful fulfillment.
• Help children overcome fears.
• Coping device in stressful conditions.

Imaginary friends often exist to children between the ages of three and six. Sometimes the child may use familiar or made- up names to identify the friend by. Children create a look, and unique personality for this character who they often talk to when in need of a self- esteem boost. Imaginary friends may last for a couple of days or for long periods of time. They can also come up during distress, loneliness or difficulty.

In many cases the child’s alter- ego will take the form of the friend. This means that the friend will take the blame for a mess that the child created or for swearing. As mentioned above, these imaginary friends may also encourage a child to pretend play. This is very important for a child’s development for many reasons.

• Learning about roles.
• Relationships.
• Power.
• Control- the child gets to make decisions in a situation- they mimic the role of a parent.
• Working through feelings that may be felt through the day.

When should a parent take their child to a child psychologist?

It’s a good idea to try and assist the child in fading the imaginary friend out of their lives, depending on how serious the situation is. This illusion may prevent the child from making real friends as they isolate themselves in their fantasy world.  However this is rarely the case .It is not advised that parents try to force their children to forget about their imaginary friend. If parents are very worried about their child’s development, there are very effective ways to assist a child with facing reality. Taking the child to play therapy with a child psychologist is recommended.

If a teen or young adult has an imaginary friend or enemy, it should raise concern. This fake reality could lay a path towards a disorder such as schizophrenia. In this case, it is vital to consult a professional.

Imaginary friends are a way for children to express themselves. However if parents feel that this illusion is straying their child too far from reality, it is best to consult a child psychologist.

For more information on child psychology or play therapy, call Bryanwood Therapy Centre on:

011 706 2269

011 706 0979

011 463 1488

Email bryanwood@bryanwood.co.za or click here to complete an online enquiry

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“You’re fat!”, “You run like a girl!”, “No one wants to be your friend!” These are the sort of nasty things that you hear children saying to one another in movies. The thought of your child being the victim of bullying or the person doing the bullying, doesn’t seem as real. The day you send your child off to school in their small uniforms and peanut butter sandwiches in their backpack is the day they are exposed to this sort of bullying behavior.

Making jokes and teasing one another is a normal act for children to participate in. It’s part of growing up and developing a personality. The line however does need to be drawn when teasing and “harmless” joking around becomes hurtful and demeaning. Bullying is a common problem amongst school children. It comes in different shapes and sizes but can certainly become bigger and more damaging than “you’re a loser.”

The consequences of bullying

It is hard to build up self confidence for a young child being bullied. Depression, anxiety, lack of sleep and psychological problems are just a few of the issues that a bully’s victim is faced with. If bullying is on- going, it could possibly cause psychological damage.

Some children are very secretive and don’t open up to parents or teachers. If the problem is kept quiet, it could escalate and spiral out of control. In many countries all over the world, parents have lost their daughter or son to “bullicide.” This is the suicidal term for ending your life because of being a victim to bullying.
Bryanwood Therapy and Assessment Centre are perfectly adept at helping you and your child cope with bullying. Contact us today on +27 11 706 2269 for information on how we can help you or email us on bryanwood@bryanwood.co.za.

What bullying signs to look for in children
There are many behaviors that a child who is victim to bullying may show:
▪ Not wanting to go to school.
▪ Feeling ill in the mornings.
▪ Doing badly in their school work.
▪ Becoming withdrawn.
▪ Having nightmares or crying themselves to sleep.
▪ Beginning to bully other children around them.
▪ Becoming aggressive.
▪ Having unexplained bruises, cuts or scratches (in extreme cases.)

There is a large range of benefits offered to children, when issues like bullying, how to deal with bullies, sex education, anger management etc. are confronted at school with professionals. Children are taught how to develop and improve social skills and build self confidence. Children are encouraged to speak about their insecurities. Sometimes school teachers are not equipped or do not have the time to be able to talk to learners about “life” issues.

For information on school workshops or for individual therapy for both Primary and High School learners, call Bryanwood Therapy and Assessment Centre on 011 706-2269 or 011 706-0907 or 011 463- 1488. Alternatively email bryanwood@bryanwood.co.za

Bryanwood Therapy and Assessment Centre offers customized workshops for specific groups. These groups are run by members with specific expertise. The Therapy Centre can also arrange targeted talks with school children on specific topics.

Every child or group of children has different problems. These need to be assessed and dealt with. By handling an issue early on and educating school children on the consequences of bullying and other issues, a child or a number of children will not fall victim to bullies nor will they take on a bullying persona.

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We all have days when our moods are as unpredictable as the weather. However there are some people whose peaks and valleys are more severe than this.

Bipolar Disorder affects about 1 in 7 people. This means that there is a very good chance that someone we all know might be suffering with this potentially crippling medical condition. Bipolar Disorder has a number of different names.

• Manic Depression
• Manic- Depressive Disorder.
• Manic- Depressive Illness.
• Bipolar Mood Disorder.
• Bipolar Affective Disorder.

What is Bipolar Disorder?

Bipolar Disorder is a mental illness that leaves the victim vulnerable to serious episodes of mania, followed by extreme depression. Usually a person will become overly happy and irritable to sad and miserable and back again for no reason at all. These sudden changes are evident in energy, behavior and mood. A combination of biochemical, psychological and genetic factors are thought to be the root cause of this fickle disorder.

Symptoms of Bipolar Disorder

There are a number of symptoms that a person suffering with Bipolar Disorder may show. Generally victims seem to look at situations as being bigger, faster, exaggerated and sometimes worse than they really are. Symptoms can become very harmful and threatening to the person’s life. School and work performance is affected and relationships and other important aspects of life are influenced. Symptoms during the manic and depressive phases may differ somewhat.

Manic stage

• Active.
• Think and talk faster.
• Feeling of self importance.
• May not want to sleep or eat.
• Hallucinations (auditory and visual)

Depressive stage

• Indecisive.
• Low self esteem.
• Weight gain/ weight loss.
• Sleeping more or less than usual.
• Lack of interest.
• Alcohol/ drug abuse.
• Disappearing for periods of time.
• Possible suicide attempts.

Even though symptoms are treatable, many people do not recognize the signs as being the effects of Bipolar Disorder.

For more information on Bipolar Disorder or to seek help, call Bryanwood Therapy and Assessment Centre on 011 706- 2269,  011 706- 0979 or 011 463- 1488. Email bryanwood@bryanwood.co.za

The difficulties of being around a Bipolar victim

A very depressed person will become withdrawn, uncommunicative and possibly unwilling to participate on a social or professional level. People may feel that the person is draining and perhaps a burden to be around.

A manic person on the other hand may become aggressive, argumentative, vain, arrogant and very bossy. This too becomes an irritation to others, often causing conflict in relationships.

It is impossible to try and understand the level of emotional stress that family and friends of a Bipolar victim deal with. Having a mentally ill person in the household, at work or among a group of friends can become tiring on everyone involved. In most cases, these people too become victims of the shattering disorder.

Insisting that Bipolar patients receive help is a crucial step for all family or friends to take. Most people who have received help for Bipolar Disorders are able to live a normal and stable life. Leaving the condition untreated will only cause it to manifest and become a greater problem in the lives of the victim and everyone else involved.

To make an enquiry at Bryanwood Therapy and Assessment Centre click here or visit www.bryanwood.co.za

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Trauma can arise out of a number of situations. What is traumatic for one person may not be for another. This is because although the experience may have been scary for everyone who was involved, trauma develops from an internal reaction.

When someone goes through a stressful event, they could struggle to cope with the emotional burden. Traumatic experiences may leave people questioning their beliefs about safety or life in general. When this happens, victims could feel a loss of trust in people, themselves or their surroundings.

What can trigger trauma?

• Rape.
• Death.
• Divorce.
• Abuse (of any kind.)
• Bullying/ Violence.
• Being witness to violence etc.
• ▪ Accidents.

There is no limit to what can cause a person to suffer with trauma.

Psychological trauma can leave a person in a very insecure place in life. If the condition is not treated, it could evolve into something more devastating than the event that caused it. It’s also possible for trauma to last for many years, or only arise years down the line after the cause has passed.

Post- Traumatic- Stress- Disorder

Not everyone who has suffered with trauma or who has experienced devastating events will suffer with Post- Traumatic- Stress- Disorder (PTSD.) Everyone develops different psychological reactions. These reactions are determined by a person’s history, their coping skills and their emotional stability at the time. PTSD is a term used to describe the symptoms that develop from traumatic events. There are many different symptoms that a person may develop. Some people might suffer from numerous symptoms. Once again, every person reacts differently.

• Flashbacks.
• Nightmares.
• Insomnia.
• Alcohol or drug abuse.
• Panic attacks.
• Depression.
• Anger.
• Withdrawing socially.
• Loss of self confidence and esteem.

If these symptoms last for weeks or even months, it is suggested that the victim find professional help.

Seeking trauma counselling

Many people, who live with trauma or PTSD, feel ashamed or weak for needing help. They compare themselves to those that may have been in the same or similar situations, who might be coping fine. However it is vital to know that everyone reacts to events and trauma differently. The sooner that symptoms are dealt with, the more chance there is of a full recovery. Trauma counselling could help people face their emotions and overcome the difficulties they are going through.

If PTSD is left untreated and not addressed, it could develop into a more severe psychological disorder. Daily choices and normal functioning could become tasks that leave the person feeling depressed and alone.

To make a booking to see a trauma counsellor call Bryanwood Therapy Centre on 011- 706- 2269, 011- 706- 0907, 011- 463- 1488.

Email bryanwood@bryanwood.co.za

Visit www.bryanwood.co.za

What are the benefits of seeing a trauma counsellor?

Addressing issues of any sort can be daunting. Working together with a trauma counsellor can help people resolve problems and form coping skills. Often people may overcome traumatic events alone. Another experience or additional stress, however, may trigger the trauma at a later stage in a person’s life.

To enquire about Trauma Counselling or other form of Therapy, click here

It’s sad to think that money, tough times or an economic slump could bring distance between couples. The recession certainly did leave a hole in many people’s pockets but in some homes in South Africa, a hole was left between married couples and family members.

Sometimes it’s a lack of communication that tears couples apart. Sometimes it’s the stress of making ends meet while still having to pay bills and educate children. Over the last two years, recession has certainly made its presence known in South Africa. For many married and unmarried couples, this meant stress not only to their bank accounts but to the foundation of their relationships too.

The constant worry of not knowing how far money will stretch has left many couples going to bed stressed, anxious and/or angry. Fighting on a daily basis about money or the lack thereof may be serious enough to lead to separation. It can result in the deterioration of healthy marriages and the further damage of already rocky marriages.

Divorce as a last resort?

We may only really think about the effect divorce has on a family if it happens to someone we know. We are not always aware of the sadness and divide that separation causes in a family. Divorce is one of the toughest and most life changing decisions that couples will ever have to make should their relationship become unstuck. The decision to stay together and attempt to make it work can be as difficult as the decision to end the relationship. It raises the question, do people intend on taking marriage vows seriously until death do them part? There are, however, things that can be done to try to re-ignite the spark and resurrect the relationship before couples close the door.

Couples Therapy

The recession might have found its way between some couples but giving up on marriage and commitment is not an easy way out. Seeking professional advice is a good idea. Bryanwood Therapy & Assessment Centre provides couples the opportunity to address problems in their relationship. Areas of concern, such as coping with the effects of financial stress on the relationship, are worked through with qualified and experienced therapists who dedicate their professional lives to helping others.

Visit www.bryanwood.co.za for more information.

Other aspects that may be dealt with when couples commit themselves to marital or couples therapy include:

• Mutual needs
• Life values
• Communication
• Marital expectations
• Life goals

When areas of difficulty are shared and discussed between two people in the presence of a therapist, it often brings greater understanding to a relationship. When couple’s are experiencing financial difficulties, partners’ needs are often forgotten or pushed to the side. Financial difficulties and concerns due to the recession are likely to have a negative impact on the quality of a couple’s relationship. Marriage or couples therapy can help partners to create a more supportive partnership in order to withstand external stressors.

Coping with the recession might have been a challenge for many people worldwide. Equally, if not more challenging, is the striving to attain a happy and stable marriage despite the financial effects of the recession.

For advice or information on couples therapy or to book an appointment with one of our many highly qualified therapists at the Bryanwood Therapy & Assessment Centre, call  011 706-2269 or 011 706-0907 or 011 463-1488 or email bryanwood@bryanwood.co.za

Disclaimer: the views expressed in the published Bryanwood newsletters do not necessarily represent the views of all the psychologists at the Bryanwood Therapy & Assessment Centre but are for general informational and marketing purposes only.

Health is a state of complete physical, intellectual, occupational, mental, spiritual, emotional and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. It is an ongoing and dynamic process. Achieving success in each of the above mentioned areas is accomplished by choosing behaviours that improve the quality of life and eliminating destructive behaviour. If you are struggling or unhappy with any of these areas is may be time to see someone about it. Why not contact Bryanwood and let us assist you in adopting a holistic approach to wellness. Call us on 011 706 0979/ 011 7062269.

If anyone, adults and children, is exposed to a terrifying or extremely disturbing event they can be at risk for developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A natural reaction to any traumatic event includes fear, terror, extreme and confused emotions, a sense of numbness and disbelief. However, for some people the effects of a trauma can be long-lasting and symptoms can appear even months or years after the event. To prevent this from happening trauma counselling is advised as it involves coming to terms with the event on an emotional level – not just ’surviving’.

Symptoms to look out for:

Nightmares
Sleeplessness or excessive sleep
Being constantly ‘on edge’
Having trouble concentrating and forgetfulness
Guilt
Avoiding things that remind you of the incident
Social withdrawal
Disinterest in previously pleasurable activities
Increased dependence on substances including alcohol, drugs, cigarettes
Preoccupation with the event including intrusive thoughts or images of the incident